Audiolab 6000A - Integrated Amplifier + Dali Oberon 3 Bookshelf Speaker

Digital Circuitry

Much effort has been made to ensure the 6000A’s digital circuitry delivers the level of quality one might expect of a high-performance standalone DAC. As ever, Audiolab has turned to the ES9018 Sabre32 Reference chip family to perform D/A conversion, utilising ESS Technology’s 32-bit HyperStream architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator to deliver ultra-low noise and high dynamic range.

No company knows more about making the most of this technically excellent, but challenging, DAC technology than Audiolab. If the circuitry that surrounds the ES9018 is not of sufficient standard, the resulting sound can seem a little cold and hard; treat it right, however, and the level of musical expression that this chip digs from the digital signal is captivating. Audiolab’s original, universally acclaimed M-DAC was one of the first home audio components to incorporate an ES9018 chip back in 2011, and the company has been honing its implementation ever since.

Analogue Circuitry

The 6000A’s discrete Class AB power amp stage delivers 50W per channel into eight ohms, with a maximum current delivery of 9 Amps into difficult loads. The output stage of the discrete power amp circuits uses a CFB (Complementary Feedback) topology, ensuring superior linearity and excellent thermal stability, as the idle current is kept independent of the temperature of the output transistors.
A substantial 200VA toroidal transformer, followed by 4x15000uF reservoir capacity (60000uF in total), helps the amp to maintain firm control of the music whilst enabling excellent dynamic range.

The preamp section is kept as simple as possible to maintain signal purity, with line input signals passing to a precision analogue volume stage. The latter covers the range from -80dB to +8dB in steps of 2dB and 1dB (step resolution increases with volume position). Much effort has gone into the physical layout of the 6000A’s circuitry, protecting the sensitive preamp section from noise interference. This, plus the use of independent low-noise power supplies for critical stages, helps to deliver a performance that rivals significantly more expensive analogue amplifiers, even before taking the 6000A’s impressive digital circuitry into account.

Turntables and Headphones

In recognition of the recent vinyl revival, Audiolab has included a phono stage for moving magnet phono cartridges – a high-quality, low-noise, JFET-based circuit with precise RIAA equalisation.

Similarly, an increasing number of people are using headphones for music listening, so Audiolab has incorporated a dedicated headphone amp with current-feedback circuitry. Its gain bandwidth and high slew rate ensure a dynamic, detailed and engaging performance with all manner of headphone types – more boxes ticked for this most integrated of integrated amplifiers.

Design

The OBERON 3 is easy to integrate into any room. Both the driver materials and geometry applied in the OBERON 3 have been selected to achieve a wide dispersion pattern in the listening area. The same principles have been applied in the design of the crossover.

As result, you will experience a well-integrated sound, even when listening at a significant off-axis angle. This is important as you are rarely seated directly in front of your loudspeakers when listening to music. An added benefit is seriously reduced harmonic distortion and diffractions causing frequency distortion, as these will always be stronger in an on-axis response. This is also the reason why all DALI speakers are not designed to be toed-in. 

Woofer

The OBERON 3 features a 7" low-loss woofer - the same featured in the OBERON 7. The woofer has been optimised with a new wood fibre structured cone which is dedicated to reproduce the delicate midrange and bass frequency area - like every other driver made by DALI. It is constructed from a blend of fine grain paper pulp and reinforced with wood fibres, which creates a stiff, light-weight and well-behaving structure. In combination with a low-loss surround and spider suspension, this cone reproduces the micro details in the signal - unfiltered and with high accuracy. 

We chose a 7" driver, as its membrane has a 15% larger dimension than the common 6½ market standard. The larger cone area allows a lower voice coil excursion at the same sound pressure level compared to a 6½ woofer. It also allows a higher maximum sound pressure level, which leads to an effortless reproduction of the dynamics in the music. 

The membrane terminates in a rubber surround that is chosen for its soft and very flexible properties. This gives the membrane free movement with a very low dampening effect, and leaves the magnet motor to control the membrane movement.

Cabinet 

The cabinet housing of the OBERON 3 is constructed from high-density CNC machined MDF board - dressed in carefully selected high-grade vinyl. The OBERON 3 cabinet employs a very rigid construction, with solid bracings across the inside of the cabinet for reinforcement. This contributes to the stiffness and practically eliminates resonance within the cabinet. 

To optimise timing, the speakers are fitted with acoustic damping material internally along the sides, top and bottom. This creates a more direct contact between woofer and bass port. The audible result is a more precise bass and increased ‘attack’ in the midrange. 

The bass ports are placed on the rear of the OBERON 3, optimising room integration by utilising the wall for improved bass performance. 

With the OBERON range, DALI introduces a brand new front grille design. The new rounded front grille adds a lighter and more contemporary visual look to the speaker series. 'Mountain Grey' is the standard grille supplied with the light finishes (White and Light Oak), while 'Shadow Black' is standard on the dark finishes (Black Ash and Dark Walnut). For an all white look, 'Marshmallow White' is also available as an accessory.